White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, 27, celebrated Mother’s Day by sharing a photo with her infant son on Instagram.
Leavitt gave birth to a boy named Nicholas, whom she affectionately calls Niko, on July 10, 2024. The official spokesperson for President Donald Trump’s second administration had her first child with real estate developer Nicholas Riccio, 60.
The political couple married in January 2025 at New Hampshire’s Wentworth By The Sea Country Club just days before Trump’s second inauguration on Jan. 20.
“There’s nothing I love more than being his mom. Happy Mother’s Day,” Leavitt captioned her Mother’s Day message. Niko’s dad was not featured in the photo.
While most of the reactions on Instagram honored Leavitt as a mother, Riccio’s omission from the post with Niko led a user to question why she did not include him in her family post.
“He sure looks like his daddy,” a fan in the comment section declared. However, one person jokingly asked, “Where is [your] 80-year-old husband?”
A third commenter sarcastically praised little Niko while still bashing his polarizing mother, writing, “He is such an adorable little fellow!! So cute! Has he said his first lie yet?”
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Other people blatantly blasted Leavitt under her Mother’s Day photo for representing Trump amid the Republican politician’s various scandals and controversial decisions.
“It’s actually crazy watching you highlight your motherhood while actively destroying that for other women… but I guess the delusion is just hitting differently,” a Trump critic expressed about Leavitt.
Similarly, someone wrote, “This would be touching, if you weren’t helping to enforce a terribly evil agenda. Shame.”
Riccio may have been missing from his wife’s Mother’s Day photo with their son, but he is heavily featured on the Saint Anselm College graduate’s Instagram page.
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On April 21, Leavitt uploaded a two-slide carousel from the White House Easter Egg Roll event that included images of Niko and Nicholas. On May 4, she also shared pictures of all three family members together in West Palm Beach, Florida.
The West Palm Beach snapshots sparked disapproving responses that focused on Leavitt and Riccio’s 32-year age difference. That three-decade gap continues to be a target for trolls looking to bash the pair.
Leavitt was asked about entering into a relationship with a much older man during a Febuary 2025 episode of “The Megyn Kelly Show” hosted by right-wing media personality Megyn Kelly.
“I met my husband during my congressional campaign. A mutual friend of ours hosted an event at a restaurant that he owns up in New Hampshire and invited my husband,” she recalled.
The failed 2022 House of Representatives candidate also told Kelly, “Of course. It’s a very atypical love story, but he’s incredible. He is my greatest supporter. He’s my best friend. He’s my rock.”
Apparently, Riccio signified his love for Leavitt by presenting her with an estimated $100,000 engagement ring in December 2023. She proudly showcased the diamond on Instagram with a caption that read, “The best Christmas of my life. I get to marry the man of my dreams. I feel SO overwhelmingly BLESSED. Thank you, God.”
Leavitt made history by becoming the youngest person to serve as White House Press Secretary. She has made motherhood a central part of her online brand. For instance, the ex-MAGA Inc. employee posted a pic of herself holding Niko as they visited Trump in the Oval Office.
“It’s true when they say there’s nothing comparable to the love you feel for your child. My heart has grown bigger than I ever imagined possible. Babies are the ultimate blessing, and I’m bursting with gratitude for our beautiful, happy, healthy boy,” Leavitt said at the time of Niko’s birth.
‘Where Is Your 80-Year-Old Husband?’: Trump’s Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt Ditches Husband In New Post Following Backlash Over Family Photo